Security Council Resolution
1382 (29/11/01), extending Iraq’s ‘oil for food’ programme, contains a largely
neglected annex that may double in length the list of ‘dual use’ items whose
export to Iraq is controlled. If so, the US/UK ‘smart sanctions’ initiative
could further block, rather than ease, legitimate civilian exports to Iraq,
with potentially grave humanitarian consequences.

The resolution, "decides that [the Council] will adopt" an annexed
list of ‘dual use’ items "for implementation beginning on 30 May 2002",
"subject to any refinements ... agreed by the Council". The British
Foreign Office interprets
this to mean that the annex has been adopted (30/11/01). Chinese
and Russian
commentaries imply a belief that further Council agreement is required to do
so.

The annexed list has three parts:

(A) the existing
list developed by the UN technical bodies charged with disarming Iraq’s
nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and mid- to long-range missiles;
(B) a document
from the US mission to the UN, containing 149 pages of items based on the
Wassenaar Arrangement, a 1996 export control regime that evolved from Cold War
controls; and
(C) eight pages of assorted items.

Part C generally adds further controls to items in Part B. For example, Part
B controls bathymetric survey systems with three sophisticated features; Part
C controls those without such features. In some cases, the Part C controls do
not merely add to the Part B controls, but appear to conflict with them. For
example, Part B notes that controls on "optical fibre cables" do "not
control standard civil telecommunications cables". Part C controls "optical
fibre cables of more than 5 meters in length", without further qualification.
Beyond outlining some general procedures, the resolution gives no clues as to
how such conflicts might be interpreted.

Parts B and C differ from Part A by not being related directly to Iraq’s proscribed
weapons. If the resolution’s procedures are adopted, the import restrictions
on goods -- one element of the sanctions -- would be replaced by a technology
transfer control regime.

Nevertheless, the humanitarian effect of increased holds may be grave. Tun
Myat, UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator in Iraq, explained, "the biggest killer
of children is not lack of food or medicine but of water and sanitation"
(UN
News Centre, 30/11/01). Infrastructural contracts, necessary to restore
Iraq’s water and sanitation, are already at high risk of holds. Expanded ‘dual
use’ lists less directly related to Iraq’s proscribed weapons threaten to increase
this risk.

Given the Security Council’s longstanding lack of haste in redressing
the civilian damage caused by its policies in Iraq, it must address these concerns
about the humanitarian consequences of this resolution.

For more information on the subject of this
press release, contact: Colin Rowat. Tel: 0121 414 3754 / 07768 056 984
For more information on CASI,
contact: Per Klevnäs. Tel: 07990 501 905